So I've been telling stories for pretty much as long as I can remember. I am at heart a fantasy writer, with a keen focus on character driven stories. I've been told by multiple people that my books have an 'anime'-esque vibe to them, even reminding some people of reading a Studio Ghibili  story. I can't say for sure whether or not that's true, you'd have to tell me. But I can tell you I take that idea as a compliment, as I have been very much inspired by all the anime I've watched over the years, among other things. 

Back in my uni days I had a lot of fun sharing some fanfiction I'd written with friends I'd made online, having fun hearing them create theories about where they thought the story was going. Watching them engage just as much with the OC characters I'd put in the stories as the ones I was borrowing really ignited my passion, making me realise how much I truly love writing for the enjoyment of others. And I do understand how cliched that might seem, but I know for me nothing makes me happier than other people getting the same level of enjoyment out of my work that I do.

 I don't think I write the kind of fiction that would change the world, but if I can inspire just one person to create stories of their own in the same way other people's stories have inspired me, then I'd feel like I've had an impact. But if all anyone ever gets out of my books is a few hours of entertainment, then that's just as good to me. 

~ Ila ~